As rooms were gutted Thursday, tiny stuffed animals, baby shoes and dolls could be spotted amid the rubble.

People who live at the center on a more permanent basis will stay, and staff will be on hand at the nearby thrift store to keep an eye on the place and provide referrals, Bernardes said.

During the extensive work, however, the shelter will not be able to provide for emergency housing for homeless, nor will it serve meals, Bernardes said.

Those in need of emergency housing are being referred to the Bay Area Rescue Mission in Richmond, and Mission Solano in Fairfield.

For meals, people are being sent to the First Baptist Church at Sonoma Boulevard and Carolina Streets for meals served Monday through Thursday.

Eric Wommack, a homeless man getting a meal at the church Wednesday, said anybody who needs housing or who wants to get off the street won't have many options in Vallejo.

Volunteer Cian Munnar said, so far, the church has not seen more people come in for feed since the shelter closed.

Maria Guevara of Vallejo Together, an organization which serves meals and provides other help for the homeless, said those living under bridges or in cars won't be impacted by the shelter's temporary closure.

However, those who have just lost their homes and don't want to live on the streets will definitely be impacted.

"Six months of not having any place to go will add to the number of friends in need on the streets," she said.

Vallejo Together refers people to the Christian Help Center and to the Community Life Integration Foundation, as well, she said.

Meanwhile, Bernardes said as work is being done at the Christian Help Center, the organization will reach out to the community for planning and study sessions on the future of the shelter.

"We're a homeless shelter," he said. "We've seen hundreds of people get back on their feet."